


Knee-Deep but Over My Head

by Cherryleaf



Series: The Apprentice's Day-to-Day Adventures [2]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel), the arcana
Genre: Asra was right, Logic? What is that?, Other, Vampire eels aren’t startled by motion, but they are by logic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-20
Updated: 2019-09-20
Packaged: 2020-10-24 23:48:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20714582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cherryleaf/pseuds/Cherryleaf
Summary: A little mishap occurs when the magician's apprentice decides to help Julian search for an unknown item in the flooded district.





	Knee-Deep but Over My Head

**Author's Note:**

> I may be rewriting this, as there are a lot of flaws in the characters’ logic. Just be warned.

“Julian?” You call, trudging through the murky waters of the flooded district. You silently thank the stars that Asra had taught you that water-protection spell out of the blue the other day. Maybe he realised that spending time with Julian was almost inevitably going to end up with at least one of you drenched in… is this even still water? You grimace, wrenching one of your boots out of the muck and determinately pushing further up towards the reservoir, the putrid stench of fermenting reeds clinging to your nose. With any luck, ‘water protection’ also includes ‘eel protection,’ because you’re not entirely convinced that the leather of your boots and coat will withstand those ghastly fangs… no matter what Julian says.

“Yes, dear?” A familiar head pops out from around the corner, crimson curls falling into his face. For a moment you’re side-tracked, narrowing your eyes at those luscious waves. How can hair even naturally exist in such a deep red? Portia’s hair is much lighter than this; he must secretly dye it. You wouldn’t be surprised if he did –dying his hair the colour of blood seems right down his alley. You’ll have to ask Portia later. 

Julian’s sharp chuckle rips you out of your thoughts, and your eyes focus on his face. He’s grinning widely at you, proudly displaying the pearly whites of his teeth. The rosy flush to his cheeks somewhat softens the harshness of his jutting jawbones and the sombre bags under his eyes, lending him an almost doll-like look. “Like what you see?”

You role your eyes, dropping your head to search the water again. “Do you plan to tell me what you’re looking for?” You hear a quiet yelp followed by a splash, and glance up to see Julian steadying himself against the wall, a much darker blush spreading across his face and down his chest. His knees wobble slightly as he tries to wrestle his feet from the mulch. “Oh yes, I like what I’m seeing now,” you add, grinning deviously when he shoots you a wide-eyed look. He ducks his head down hastily, the curls falling into his eyes as he yanks a foot free. When he looks up again, it’s with a mischievous grin of his own.

“Well I could tell you but – ah – where would the fun be in that?” You raise an eyebrow, unimpressed. Trudging around in vampire-eel infested waters, looking for some unknown object without any guarantee of actually finding it, was NOT very high on your list of fun things to do with your day off. “Just keep on the look-out for something... small and wriggly.”

You freeze, your blood turning cold. He’s not seriously telling you you’re looking for – “Leeches,” you groan, tilting your head back in exasperation. The shift in weight causes your shoes to sink deeper into the mud and when you reflexively pull your feet to lift them out, the mulch refuses to give and you lose your balance. With a shriek you topple backwards, arms splaying outward as they instinctively reach out for purchase. Julian’s mouth opens to shout your name, but his hands are faster, thrusting him off the wall and towards you. Unfortunately he only takes one step before being suctioned to the ground again and he too loses his balance, words failing him as the two of you plummet into the water, splashing its murky contents and drenching you both.

For a moment you just sit there, dumbfounded, before a loud “Aha!” shocks you back into reality. Julian leans towards you enthusiastically, his wet curls bleeding down his temples. His slate eyes sparkle as he rips a hand out of the water, shoving a squirming vermin into your face. You grimace, turning away from its slimy, quivering body.

“Great, you’ve found one.” 

He looks at you a moment, as though the situation he’s suddenly found himself in was finally dawning on him. You can almost hear the cogs creaking into action before he suddenly rears back, grabbing a flask from his coat and stuffing the writhing mass into it with a quick, well-practiced movement. He jams the cork down to close the flask and pushes it back into his pocket, carefully getting to his feet. The strings of his eyepatch have loosened a little, one side of the black cover dangling towards his cheek. Julian seems oblivious to this, however, looking down at you sheepishly as he stretches out his hand. “Need some help,” he offers. You glare pointedly at his hand for a second: the thought of biting it has become quite tempting. However, chances are that his response would be far from satisfying, so you sulkily let the thought pass, instead moving to reach for it. You don’t get very far, the water swirling a little around your arm as it stutters, before being pulled back into the depths of the mulch. You growl, turning on Julian in frustration. He looks down at you, innocent curiosity colouring his features. You suck in a sharp breath.

“I’m stuck.”


End file.
